Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Secures April Release Date
The mysterious ‘Clair Obscur: Expedition 33’ finally got a full on reveal of its gameplay, story and world in the Xbox Developer Direct from last week. On top of this, we received a concrete release date: April 24th. The turn based RPG that implements timing to attacks (similar to the Paper Mario series) received a lot of buzz with its original reveal trailer back in 2023 and, now that so much more has been unveiled, prospects for this release look very strong.
Image by Sandfall Interactive
The highlight from what was shown off is the world of Expedition 33. A dark fantasy setting during the golden years of France, Clair Obscur takes place in Paris as its citizens contend with the ticking clock of death (literally). Each year, the number on a mysterious obelisk ticks down and anybody over that age immediately dies. This has caused an expedition to set out each year to find out the mysteries of this device and try to stop it for good.
This is a promising premise and with the intriguing mix of characters that include the typical self-serious protagonist and a dangerously unpredictable gnome like creature, this makes for a unique setting. With a world map allowing players to explore much like in the old days of classic Final Fantasy and Chrono Trigger, Clair Obscur is clearly trying to innovate whilst recapturing mechanics from other games.
Image by Sandfall Interactive
Speaking of mechanics form other games, the combat of this turn based RPG forces players to time blocks, attacks and magic spells against enemies- similar to something seen in ‘Sea of Stars’. This adds an added level of challenge and depth to the combat system that is much appreciated. With a whole host of customisation options for each member of your party too, Expedition 33 could be one of the best real turn-based RPGs we’ve seen in recent years. This inspired French RPG launches on April 24th for PlayStation 5, PC and Xbox Series Consoles- with the game also coming day one to Xbox Game Pass.
